Two surveyors from PT Merauke Rayon Jaya, Diah Puspasari and Ipsan Nanera, who were reported missing on Feb. 9, have been found alive and well in Merauke, Papua.
“The two surveyors who had been reported missing had arrived in Merauke on March 1. They were taken home by Pak Bambang, a hi-line car driver, from Yamai village in Mappi regency. They arrived in Merauke at 6 p.m. local time on March 1,” Darmawan from the Merauke search and rescue (SAR) team told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.
He said the Merauke SAR team began searching for the surveyors shortly after receiving a report that they were missing.
“When we were in Asiki, we received a report from the driver, Bambang, that the two surveyors were with him. We then called off the search operation and returned to Merauke,” Darmawan added.
Citing his conversation with the surveyors, Darmawan said the incident had begun when Diah and Ipsan became separated from their group. They then decided to return to a place called Titik Nol (Point Zero), from where they departed together to the survey locations as they could not locate their friends.
“They stayed at Point Zero for three days in the hope of meeting up again with their colleagues. Unfortunately, their friends didn’t show up, so they took the initiative and left the area by walking along the river,” said Darmawan.
They got lost in a forest and were unable to make contact with anyone outside the area for nearly three weeks until they arrived in Yamai village, Mappi regency, on Feb. 28. In Mappi, they met Bambang, the hi-line car driver, who drove them to Merauke, where they arrived on March 1.
“Diah said that during their efforts to get out of the forest, they ran out of food, so they ate some fish and frogs they found. Diah said she had lost 11 kilograms in body weight,” said Darmawan.
Diah and Ipsan were reported missing on Feb. 9 while they were due to be conducting a survey in Kampung Selouw, Muting regency, Merauke.
PT Merauke Rayon Jaya has been granted industrial forest concessions by the Forestry Ministry for the pulp industry covering an area of 206,800 hectares in Papua. During 2007-2011, the company carried out land observations in Boven Digul regency. No activity took place in 2012 but this year, the company started to conduct surveys in Merauke regency. (ebf)